


War that Breaks the Heart

by ShadowRen92



Series: Intertwined Fates [1]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Developing Relationship, F/M, Forbidden Love, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, War, kingdom au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-10-16 15:12:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10573896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowRen92/pseuds/ShadowRen92
Summary: War breaks out all over the four Kingdoms of the Princes, causing financial problems for the people. Haruka then travels to the capital in search of work. However, she never would have imagined working for one of the most important people in the Southern Kingdom. (Originally on Fanfiction)





	1. Wipe Your Tears

“We’re almost there!”

Haruka paused from her reading and leaned over the side of the moving cart a little to get a better view. In the distance, she spotted the large city that was surrounded by a large, sturdy wall. She could see hundreds, perhaps even thousands of buildings and homes scattered throughout the enclosure.

Once she passed through the gate, her eyes widened at the sight of the lively capital. People hurried through the streets as vendors called out to them to take a look at their merchandise. Children ran around, playfully calling out to each other to follow as their mothers kept a careful eye on them. There were so much more things going on than in the village she was from. She quickly put her book away in her bag as the cart came to a stop.

Stepping out into the busy street of people was intimidating, but Haruka got out nonetheless. She turned to the cart driver and gave him a polite bow.

“Thank you so much for bringing me along,” Haruka said with a bright smile.

She quickly dug through her bag and gave several bronze coins to the cart driver.

The driver tipped his hat with a smile. “No problem. Good luck with whatever you’re hoping to do out here.”

With that, the cart driver slapped the reins against the horse and was wheeled away as Haruka gave him a small wave. Taking a deep inhale, she turned back towards the busy street. Having grown up in a small village, Haruka wasn’t sure if she’d be able to settle down here. She knew the capital would be busy, but she supposed she wasn’t mentally prepared for how fast everything seemed to flow.

With so many people walking around, it was difficult to figure out where to go. There was a lot of noise and a constant flurry of movement everywhere she looked that concentration was proving to be difficult. She hurried along the path across the plaza to try and find a more quiet place. If she was going to stay in the capital, she’d have to figure things out quickly. She supposed she’d have to stay at an inn for a little bit until she could get a job.

As Haruka got absorbed into her thoughts, she wasn’t paying close attention to her surroundings and accidentally slammed into someone. She let out a shocked cry before stumbling backwards into a large display in front of a merchant stall. A sudden crash followed and Haruka glanced over her shoulder to see several broken vases on the ground. Haruka felt her heart sink at the sight.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" A rather burly merchant cried. "Do you know how much all of this cost me?!"

"I-I'm so sorry! It was an accident." Haruka said, bowing.

"Apologies aren't going to replace all the damages! Each vase cost a hundred silver coins!"

"O-One hundred…?!" Haruka repeated.

She looked down at the wreckage and guessed there were about seven broken vases. That meant it was a grand total of seven hundred silver coins to replace everything that was broken. There was no way she could replace all of that with the little money that she had. She had just gotten into the capital and she was already in trouble.

“I’m really sorry, I don’t have much money. So please, let me make it up to you some other way…”

"I'll take care of it."

Haruka was taken aback and quickly whirled around to see the person who had spoken was the person she had accidentally run into. He was a tall, handsome young man with straight, dark blue hair and fairly pale skin. His eyes were sharp and Haruka noticed a small beauty mark under his right eye. He wore a long, tan overcoat that hung a little past his knees. Underneath he had a reddish-brown vest on top of a white dress shirt that had a red, loosely tied bowtie strung around his collar. From the way he dressed, Haruka figured he was rather wealthy.

"You're going to pay for all the damages? Do you really have enough money?" The merchant asked skeptically.

The young man nodded. "I think I can manage."

He reached into his pocket and took out a small pouch before he tossed it onto the table. The merchant narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he untied the bag and dumped the contents out. Several gold coins scattered across the table and both the merchant and Haruka's eyes widened in shock.

"Will that cover the damage?" the young man asked.

"M-More than enough…is it really alright for you to give this much away?" the merchant stammered.

"There must be about twenty gold pieces!" Haruka said in awe.

The young man merely shrugged. "I wasn't doing anything important with them anyways."

Without another word, he started down the path leading deeper into town.

Haruka was still rather stunned from the sudden display of grace before quickly snapping out of her stupor. She apologized one more time with a bow to the merchant before she took off after the blue-haired man.

"W-Wait!"

The young man paused and glanced over his shoulder as Haruka rushed over to him. Once she caught up to him, she paused to catch her breath before giving him a grateful smile.

"Thank you so much for helping me out of that predicament. Please, you have to let me repay you somehow."

The young man was silent, staring at her with a cool, guarded gaze.

"You do realize how much gold coins are worth?"

Haruka tensed, her smile gone in an instant.

"In that pouch were exactly twenty seven gold coins. Do you really think you can replace it all? Besides, you were the one who inadvertently ran into me. You owe quite a debt to me."

"U-Um…I…" Haruka took a couple steps backwards as the man's cold, violet eyes seemed to bore right through her. She recoiled slightly under his gaze. Not liking where this was going.

"And if I recall, you said that you don't have much money nor a job, correct?" the man said as he took a step towards her.

Haruka felt her pulse quicken. Alarms were going off in her head, telling her to run. Before she could react however, the man suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist, preventing her escape.

"Ah!" Haruka cried.

"In that case," the blue-haired man said as he leaned down to look her in the eye. "You can work for me to pay off your debt.”

Haruka blinked. "W-What…?"

Before Haruka could get a clarification, the young man had already started dragging her down the market street.

"Stop! Let me go!"

* * *

 

The sun hung high in the midday sky, casting radiant rays across all the buildings that made it seem like they were sparkling as Haruka found herself standing in front of the Zugravia palace. She didn't know what to think. Just a few hours ago she had arrived in the capital of the Southern Kingdom searching for a job. Now the home of the ruler of the Southern Kingdom was before her, with a job being offered to her. Never in all her life did she ever imagine that she would set foot in such a rich atmosphere.

However, her excitement soon turned to anxiety and nervousness. She wasn't coming to the palace as a guest, more like a prisoner. How in the world did it come to this? Haruka let out a sigh and looked up at her "captor." She wondered who he was and why he was bringing her to the palace.

Upon seeing them, the palace guards scrambled to open the gate, further confusing her. Was this person important? They walked down the stone path lined with freshly cut bushes. Haruka couldn’t help but stare at the enormous fountain they passed by.

There were several more guards stationed around the area. Some glanced over in their direction curiously, while others continued to carry out their duties without paying any mind to them.

Once they stepped inside the palace, Haruka’s eyes widened in awe. While it was only the entrance, the room was enormous and the floor was tiled with interesting and amazing designs. A large chandeleur hung down from the ceiling with several other lights hanging on the wall columns.  

"This way," The young man said as he led her down one of the several hallways. Though Haruka didn't understand why he would bother telling her if he was still holding onto her wrist.

As she continued being led down the hall, she couldn't help but wonder about the man in front of her.

Who was this man? Did he work here in the palace? Judging from the reactions from the guards outside, she figured he was someone important. What kind of job did he have in mind for her?

She paused. Haruka had heard many stories of women being taken into wealthy men's homes to become mistresses against their will. The thought was enough to cause the young woman to go into a panic. She slowed down her pace slightly, causing her to jerk forward from the blue-haired man's pace.

He paused and glanced over at her curiously, finally letting go of her wrist. "Is there a problem?"

"I…!" Haruka squeaked as her whole face flushed.

"…I WON'T BECOME YOUR MISTRESS!!!"

Haruka’s voice echoed off the walls and probably down the other hallways. The man stared at her with a blank yet confused expression, causing Haruka’s face to immediately turn a dark shade of red.

"T-That is…I mean…"

It took a moment for the man to regain his composure from Haruka's sudden outburst. A light dust of red covering his cheeks.

"…I was merely going to give you a job as my assistant." The blue-haired male said with an embarrassed cough at the end.

"Huh?" Haruka looked up at him perplexed.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "I was going to make you my assistant, _not_ my mistress."

After his words sunk in, Haruka turned an even darker shade of red that extended down her neck. She quickly turned to avoid his gaze, ashamed that she even said something like that aloud.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean t-to assume…ah…"

“No, I realize it was my mistake to simply bring you here without telling you the specifics,” The man replied as he placed a hand over his face. “That was much too forward of me and out of line. I apologize.”

An awkward silence passed between them as Haruka fidgeted nervously with her hands.

"Oh…I…I don't think I've introduced myself yet. My name is Haruka Nanami," Haruka said, trying to ease awkwardness that had formed between them. "What's yours?"

The young man's eyes flicked over her. His gaze was cold and guarded, letting not a single emotion show through those violet orbs of his.

"…Masato Hijirikawa."

Hijirikawa…The name sounded familiar, but Haruka couldn't quite remember where she heard it before.

"YOUNG MASTER!"

The sudden outburst immediately snapped Haruka out of her thoughts.

An elderly man came barreling over to them, nearly running into her. Haruka let out a surprised cry and stumbled a couple steps back from the shock. Though the newcomer seemed to ignore her.

"Young master, where have you been?! I've been searching everywhere for you!"

"Jii…" Masato let out an exasperated sigh.

"You can't always go off without an escort. What if something were to happen and nobody would know?! What if those infernal western-kingdom goers attacked?!" Jii cried.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Jii. Besides, I was only taking a walk around the marketplace."

"The marketplace?!" Jii exclaimed in horror. "Do you know how many robberies happen along that block?! That place is much too dangerous for a prince such as yourself."

Haruka let out a surprised gasp, catching the attention of both Masato and Jii. This person…the person she would soon be working for…was the prince of the Southern Kingdom?

Her mind started reeling and she slowly sank to the floor from the overwhelming news.

_Grandma…how did this happen…? How did I get myself in this mess…? From this day forward…I'll be working for the prince…_


	2. It Will Start Moving Someday

Once Haruka had composed herself, Masato led her to where she would be staying as she worked for him. Initially, she had resisted the idea of staying in the palace since it was so much nicer than she could ever afford. However, Masato reassured her that it was fine since she would be sharing a room with another servant.

Jii, Masato’s butler was very vocal about not liking the idea, though Masato explained that it wasn't permanent and she could leave once her debt was paid off.

"You'll start tomorrow. So get some rest," Masato said as he opened the door to her room.

It was a simple room with two beds and a small table in the middle. There was a single dresser with a mirror along the wall next to a viewing window with curtains hanging delicately in front of it. A fairly large wardrobe sat along the wall across the dresser.

Despite it being a servant's quarters, Haruka had to admit it still looked very nice compared to rooms she's seen in some of the inns.

"Make yourself at home," Masato said.

"Okay, thank you," Haruka replied with a nod.

Without another word, Masato stepped out and closed the door, giving her some time to herself.

She walked over to the bed and laid down. Staring up at the ceiling, Haruka wondered what was going to happen to her. Could she trust Masato? Would he stay true to his word? Is it really okay for her to be here?

Not too long after Masato had left, the door suddenly opened.

Haruka quickly sat up to see a woman around her age with long, bushy red hair and vibrant red-violet eyes walk in.

"Ah, so you're the new servant I was informed about."

"A-Ah, yes! I'm Haruka Nanami." Haruka said as she scrambled to her feet and bowed courteously.

The woman laughed. "No need to be so formal. We're both servants after all. My name is Tomochika."

Haruka gave her a nervous smile. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"From this point on looks like we'll be roommates," Tomochika said. "But I have to say, you sure know how to make a good first impression."

"Huh?"

A small, mischievous grin formed on Tomochika’s face.

"You know, shouting at the prince that you don't want to become his mistress."

Haruka's face immediately lit up in embarrassment before hanging her head. "Y-You heard that…?"

"It was a little hard not to. Those hallways echo pretty well," Tomochika said with a giggle.

"I see…"

"Aw don't make such a face. I would be pretty freaked out too if some random guy took me to his place," Tomochika said.

She came over to Haruka's side and patted her on the head.

Haruka looked up at her in surprise as the young woman gave her a reassuring smile.

"You don't have to worry so much. I'm sure whatever the prince has in store for you it won't be terrible. Besides, if anyone gives you any trouble, I'll be there to help you out in a pinch!"

Her words caused a light blush to appear on Haruka's cheeks. She never had anyone say that to her other than her grandmother. This was the first time that someone was offering to be friends with her.

"Thank you…" Haruka said with a warm smile.

"There you go. You finally smiled," Tomochika said, offering her a smile in return.

There was a knock at the door, causing Haruka and Tomochika to look up.

"Come in!"

A maid entered. "Miss Tomochika, dinner is starting soon."

"Yes," Tomochika said before she turned back to Haruka. "I have to go help serve dinner. We can talk more tonight once my duties are finished."

Haruka nodded as Tomochika followed the other maid out the door.

She was once again left in her room by herself. Despite being overwhelmed by the whole situation, she was more curious about what was going on in the palace. It would be interesting to go exploring, but if she were to go walking around there would be no doubt she'd get lost.

Instead, she decided to lay down on the bed and rest. As she laid there, she felt her eyes get heavy and within moments was fast asleep.

* * *

 

_Everything hurt. Her breath was heavy and she was breaking out into sweat as snow descended upon the ground. She didn't know where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get somewhere so she kept walking despite the pain._

_It was cold and she felt her senses start to numb. She soon fell to the ground in exhaustion. Despite trying to get back up, she couldn't._

_'I have to get there…I have to get there…'_

_She didn't understand. Where did she have to go to so badly?_

_Suddenly, she felt her body being lifted up. Her eyes were closed, but she could tell that whoever was carrying her was strong and warm._

_Who is this…?_

_Using what was left of her strength, she opened her eyes to see her savior. However, her view was obscured by the darkness and snow and could not make out who it was._

_"It's all right…" the person said in a gentle, warm voice. "…I'll help you get there."_

* * *

"Haruka, wake up~"

Haruka reluctantly opened her eyes upon hearing her name.

She glanced over to see Tomochika standing over her bedside. It took her a few moments to remember where she was. Once it clicked, she quickly sat up in bed in a frantic state.

"Am I late?!" Haruka cried.

Tomochika let out a sigh. "No, I just woke up not too long ago. Though it'd be best to get ready before you really are late."

"Uh, right," Haruka said as she slid out from underneath the blanket.

That was strange; she could have sworn that she fell asleep on top of the covers.

'Tomochika-san must have put it over me last night when she got back,' Haruka figured.

As she got herself ready for her first day, her mind drifted back to her dream. It was still fresh in her head and wondered who the person she saw was. Their face was blurred so she couldn't tell.

_Who was that? And why do I feel like I've heard those words before?_

* * *

Once Haruka was done getting dressed in her uniform, with a bit of help from Tomochika, she was lead to the prince's quarters.

"Your Highness, I brought Haruka," Tomochika said with a bow.

Masato glanced up from his paperwork and nodded. "Thank you. You may attend to your other duties now, Shibuya."

With another bow, Tomochika excused herself, leaving Masato and Haruka alone.

Finishing up the last few words to what he was writing, the prince stood up and walked over to Haruka.

"Since this is your first day, I'll introduce you to all the tasks you will be doing here along with showing you around the palace. It'll be up to you to remember how to get around."

Haruka nodded. "Okay.

* * *

Haruka spent the whole morning being shown around the palace. Though the prince was thorough in the tour, Haruka was still a little unsure if she would be able to find her way around. She was never good with directions and would constantly get lost. It was a miracle that she was even able to get to the capitol in the first place.

Throughout the tour, Masato and Haruka scarcely talked to each other. Their conversations were short and simple, not at all like her conversations with Tomochika. The only time that Masato would talk to her during the tour was when he was explaining the different rooms and their significance. The rest of the time was spent in silence.

She wished that she could strike up a longer conversation with him, but didn't know what to talk about. Their worlds were so different that she believed that he wouldn't find anything she could talk about interesting.

"Is something wrong?"

Haruka snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Masato looking down at her.

"H-Huh?"

"You had a troubled look on your face," Masato pointed out. "Did you find something to be disagreeable?"

"N-No! It's nothing! I was just thinking about how big the palace is that's all!" Haruka cried while waving her hands in front of her face.

"Hm…"

Haruka felt her nerves act up as Masato stared at her. His guarded gaze gave away nothing and Haruka wasn't sure if he bought her excuse or not.

"…In any case, I'll introduce you to your first job," Masato said as he turned away and started walking down another hallway.

"R-Right…" Haruka said rather awkwardly as she followed after him.

She mentally smacked herself. That was the perfect chance to try and ease the awkward silence between them but she had gone and clumsily ruined it. She was caught off guard and said what first came to mind.

Haruka sighed. What did she always have to be such a klutz...

Masato led her into the kitchen where a couple of maids were preparing some tea. Upon his entrance, the maids stopped what they were doing and bowed courteously.

"Good afternoon, your Highness."

Masato tipped his head in acknowledgement. "Takashiro, could you show Nanami how to prepare the tea and have her bring it to me in my quarters?"

A thin young woman blinked in surprise before she smiled and bowed. "Of course, your Highness."

The prince then slightly turned towards Haruka. "Listen to what Takashiro has to tell you and bring the tea to my office later. I have some important business to attend to about a meeting tomorrow."

"Ah, o-okay," Haruka stammered, still feeling slightly awkward around him.

Masato excused himself and hurried out of the room. Haruka wondered how busy he was. He seemed to always be moving and preoccupied with something. It must be tiresome.

“Alright, Nanami-san, shall we get started?” Takashiro asked.

Haruka paid close attention to Takashiro's instructions as she took her step-by-step on how to prepare the tea. If she was going to do this until her debt was paid, she had to make sure she didn't make any useless mistakes.

Once the tea was done, Haruka took the tea tray and made her way to Masato's quarters.

"So his quarters should be over here…" Haruka mumbled to herself as she glanced down the long hallway. "…I think."

All the hallways looked the same and Haruka couldn't tell if she had walked down one of the hallways before. Somehow she knew this would happen. It would definitely take some time before she would be able to find her way around the palace without any difficulties.

Maybe she should ask for someone's help...

As she hurried around a corner, Haruka accidentally slammed into someone, spilling the tea all over the person.

"GAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Haruka let out a gasp as the man looked down at his sullied clothes in horror.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Haruka cried with an apologetic bow. Thankfully the tea was not hot since it had time to cool while she tried to find her way around the palace.

"You insolent commoner! How dare you tarnish my suit! This is made from the finest silk in the whole Kingdom!" the man spat furiously.

Haruka shrank back from the hostility in his voice as he narrowed his eyes.

"I should have you arrested for such atrocities!"

"N-No! Please I-"

"Hey, hey, no need to go that far, right?"

Haruka glanced over to see another young man with messy red hair and cheerful smile on his face. However, the most distinguishable feature about him was two small, furry ears on the top of his head.

_A dog…?_

He walked over to her side and faced the other man.

"It was an accident. Besides no one got hurt, right?"

The angered man scoffed. "If you are trying to gain my sympathy, forget it! I want compensation!"

"Erm…" the redhead mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head in exasperation. "What exactly do you want?"

The man paused to think, furrowing his brow in the process. He glanced from Haruka to the redhead before a smirk etched across his lips.

Haruka swallowed nervously before the man pointed dramatically at the other redhead.

"From this point on, you will be my personal servant!"

"Eh?" Both Haruka and the other redhead said blankly.

The man grinned triumphantly as if he had thought of something ingenious. "Whenever I am at the palace, you will cater to my every whim no matter what the order. Got it?"

"Uh…"

"Hmph, then it is settled," The man said with a content grin before he shot a look at Haruka. "This ordeal can be overlooked for now, but if something like this happens again, I won't be so forgiving."

“Y-Yes, sir.”

With that, the man turned on his heel and walked down the hall to the nearest washroom, grumbling about commoners.

"He was being forgiving…?" the redhead said with a sigh as he scratched the back of his head.

"I’m so sorry!" Haruka said as she bowed. "I have to pay you back somehow."

"Nah, it's fine."

"But…you're taking my punishment. You didn't do anything…"

The redhead grinned. "Don't worry about it. I mean, I didn't help you so I could get something in return. Besides, I doubt he would be at the palace that often, right?"

Haruka looked at the young man in front of her in surprise.

His response was completely different from Masato's, who told her she owed him and dragged her off to work for him in the palace.

"Anyways, my name is Otoya Ittoki," Otoya said as he stretched out his hand towards her.

"I'm Haruka Nanami. Pleased to meet you," Haruka said with a warm smile, returning his handshake.

A tint of red appeared on Otoya's cheeks before his boyish grin appeared back on his face.

Haruka quietly stared at him. Before Otoya could ask what was wrong, she reached up and took hold of the animal ears on the top of his head.

They were soft between her fingers and she gently rubbed the fur. While she had seen a bunch of people of the animal race, she had always wondered how their ears and tails felt. And now that the opportunity presented itself, she couldn’t help herself. She had never been this close to one as far as she knew.

Otoya tensed as the soft blush on his face grew darker. “U-Um…”

"Ah! I'm sorry! I've never met someone from the animal race before," Haruka explained, her face turning slightly red.

Otoya chuckled. "Don't worry about it, I get that a lot. Anyways, I don't think I've seen you around before. Did you just start working here?"

Haruka nodded. "I just started today as the prince's assistant."

"Eh?! So you're the one who Masa had just taken in as an attendant!"

Haruka could only look at the young man in confusion. _Masa…?_

"This is the first time that Masa has ever taken someone as his attendant. He always claimed that he didn't need one. I'm pretty surprised."

"Really?" Haruka said.

"Well from what I've heard and all. I haven't been working long here myself as I only started a month ago."

"But I guess that means we'll be working together then?"

Otoya nodded. "Yep, seems that way. But…"

He gestured towards the spilled tea. "For how long, I'm not sure."

Haruka let out a cry of panic upon realizing that she still had to deliver the tea to the prince. "W-What do I do?!"

"Don't worry. We'll just go to the kitchen and make another," Otoya said.

* * *

When they arrived at the kitchen, Haruka scrambled to find the all the necessary items. Unfortunately, from all the commotion from earlier, she had forgotten where the ingredients for the tea were.

"I don't make tea, so I'm not sure where all the stuff is myself. Sorry I can't be more help," Otoya said sadly.

Haruka shook her head. "No, you've done more than enough to help me today. I have to take responsibility for this."

"Maybe I can be of some assistance."

Otoya and Haruka glanced over towards the doorway to see a tall, young man with glasses and wavy blond hair.

"Natsuki?" Otoya said with mild surprise as the man walked over to them.

Before Haruka could respond, Natsuki went over to Otoya and started affectionately rubbing his dog-ears between his fingers as she did a few minutes ago.

"Your doggy ears are so cute, Otoya-kun!" Natsuki cooed as Haruka looked at the newcomer in surprise.

"Please stop," Otoya said in exasperation.

"But your ears are just so small and fluffy! Just like Elizabeth's!"

Natsuki noticed Haruka and gave her a friendly smile. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Natsuki Shinomiya."

Haruka introduced herself before Natsuki took hold of one of her hands and shook it in a friendly gesture.

"It is a pleasure to meet another fellow servant, especially one as lovely as you."

"Eh?" Haruka squeaked in surprise, her cheeks turning slightly red as Otoya's dog-ears twitched slightly in annoyance.

"Well, why don't we get that tea prepared shall we?" Natsuki said as she started going through the cupboards. "Cooking is a hobby of mine, so I know where all the ingredients are."

"That's great! Thank you so much!" Haruka said in relief.

Natsuki started pulling out random ingredients and Haruka was sure that Marian didn't use some of them.

"Um, Shinomiya-san…are you sure these are the ingredients?" Haruka asked.

"It's a recipe that I just recently made myself that I'm sure his Highness will enjoy," Natsuki said as he happily mixed the ingredients together.

Haruka and Otoya watched as Natsuki applied various ingredients into the brew, causing them to get progressively worried.

"Done!" Natsuki said after he finished pouring the tea into the cup.

Upon a closer look, Haruka could see some purple aura emanating from the cup.

Otoya took a whiff of the tea before immediately covering his nose. "Urk…! N-Natsuki, are you sure this is okay to drink…?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?" Natsuki said.

"If Shinomiya-san says so, it must be okay," Haruka said as she took the tray. "Besides, I think I've kept his highness waiting long enough."

"I-If you're sure…" Otoya said nervously.

Otoya and Natsuki led the way to the prince's quarters and decided to wait outside as Haruka did her job.

Haruka knocked on the door and glanced down at the discolored tea. Not only did it have a foul aroma, but also bubbled like toxic waste.

What did Shinomiya-san even put in it?

She heard Masato invite her in and she hesitantly opened the door. Hopefully it was okay. It couldn't be too bad, could it?

"Sorry I took so long. Some things came up," Haruka said nervously as she set the tray down and handed Masato the cup.

Masato lifted an eyebrow curiously but didn't question it.

He lifted the cup to his lips and took a small sip. When the contents reached his mouth however, his face immediately contorted to that of disgust and uncouthly spat tea back into the cup.

"Ah!" Haruka cried as Masato sputtered and coughed vigorously.

After a series of hacks and coughs, Masato dropped his head onto his desk with a nauseated expression.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!"


	3. Like Melting Snow

Explaining the situation proved to be quite difficult, especially when Jii came in. The three of them were then subsequently thrown out of the office despite their series of apologies.

"Hmmm, I guess my recipe did not live up to his majesty's high expectations," Natsuki said with a crestfallen expression.

"I don't think that was the problem…" Otoya said with a sheepish smile.

Natsuki looked at him in surprise. "Huh? Then what was it?"

Haruka's shoulders sagged in defeat. She couldn't believe how careless she was and on her first day of work.

"Cheer up, Nanami," Otoya said. "It's going to be alright. I know he acts cold and detached most of the time, but he's actually a lot more kind once you get to know him. We'll probably just have to do some extra chores for a few weeks."

Haruka could only smile weakly and thanked both of them for their help before she excused herself to her room.

Though they offered to walk her, Haruka insisted she would be fine. As she walked down the hall, Otoya and Natsuki exchanged worried glances with one another.

* * *

 

Despite Otoya's attempt to cheer her up, Haruka couldn't help but feel completely crestfallen.

She desperately needed to pay off her debt so she could get back to helping her grandmother who was struggling financially. That's why she came to the capital in the first place.

Her grandmother's health had started to decline recently and was admitted to a medical center in a larger town. The medical bills were far higher than what they could afford. Luckily, the center gave her a couple months before she had to start paying her fees so Haruka took it upon herself to search for a higher paying job at the capital.

But now that she had to also pay off her debt to the prince, she wasn't sure if she would be able to pay the medical fees in time. A twinge of resentment bubbled up within her but she quickly forced it down. The last thing she needed was to create more problems between her and the prince.

However, the thought of not being able to help her grandmother in her time of need broke Haruka's heart. She bit the edge of her lip. If only she wasn't so naive and clumsy. If only she were more confident in her abilities...

Haruka slapped her cheeks. Now wasn't the time to be negative.

She needed to stay strong for her grandmother, especially in her time of need. Paying off her medical bills depended on her and she would see it through till the end. Even if the payment would be delayed, she would work her absolute hardest to pay off her debts as quickly as possible.

She had to keep doing her best. She couldn't get discouraged after one mistake. She has to keep pressing forward, just like always.

Too bad it was easier said than done. It always is.

* * *

 

The next day proves to be no less difficult.

Haruka let out a sigh for the umpteenth time that morning.

She must have been standing outside the door to Masato's office for the past twenty minutes or so.

After what happened the other day, Haruka wasn't sure how to act. She had been trying to get a hold of her emotions and had even gotten up an hour early to try and gather her thoughts.

Best to just get things over with. There was no use continuing to stand outside the door like this.

Haruka hesitantly lifted a hand and gently rapped her knuckles against the door.

There was no answer, causing Haruka's heart to drop. She tried knocking several more times but still didn't get a response. Maybe he really didn't want to see her.

Maybe she really didn't belong here after all…

"What are you doing?"

Haruka nearly jumped upon hearing the voice and whirled around to see a tall, young man in knight's armor and a blue uniform with a symbol that looked like a bird's talon. His face was rather chiseled, which was outlined by spiky, yet well kept dark hair. His gaze was sharp and cold, yet it felt as if they could bore a hole right through her.

"I-I was just…" Haruka stammered, quickly shifting her eyes away to avoid eye contact.

The man narrowed his eyes before letting out an exasperated sigh. "His Highness is not in his office at the moment."

Haruka looked up at him in surprise. "Eh?"

"There's a meeting currently in session so he won't be back till later."

"O-Oh, I see. Thank you," Haruka said with a grateful bow.

The man grunted in mild annoyance before he turned and continued down the hall, his knight's cape fluttering behind him with each stride.

Haruka let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. While the exchange was brief, Haruka couldn't help but feel incredibly on edge. Like she had nearly escaped from certain death. Well, she supposed that was exaggerating but considering how stern the man was, it was rather tense.

However, it seemed as if she wouldn't be able to talk to the prince until later. Though she supposed it was for the best as still felt reluctant to confront him.

Haruka bit the inside of her cheek. So much for her initial plan.

"Haruka!"

Haruka whirled around to see Tomochika rushing over to her.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! You got up so early I wasn't able to tell you that we're supposed to help prepare for the Guardian Patrol's return."

"...Guardian Patrol?" Haruka repeated quizzically.

"Ah, I guess you wouldn't know since you've only been here for a couple days. The Guardian Patrol is a select group of knights that goes out every month to travel to a different town or village in the kingdom. They hunt down any Guardians that have been causing trouble in the area so the people can rest easy. They're usually gone from three to four weeks so we don't get to see them that often."

"Huh…"

"You've must have heard or seen how bad the Guardian attacks have been these past few years. Which is why the King issued the patrol to try and combat them two years ago," Tomochika explained as she glanced up towards the ceiling.

"I see."

"In any case, since his Highness is busy, I figured you'd need something to do while you wait."

Haruka nodded with an awkward smile. She supposed there was nothing she could do about it.

Tomochika lifted an eyebrow and grinned. "What's with that face? Are you already getting tired of me?"

"What? No! That's not-!"

"I'm just kidding," Tomochika giggled as Haruka pouted. "In any case, we should really prepare for their return before someone like old man Jii-san comes to yell at us for standing around."

"R-Right…" Haruka said as she followed after the redhead down the hall.

* * *

 

It was almost the afternoon when Haruka, Tomochika and the other workers finished with their preparations. The horse stables were cleaned and restocked with fresh bales of hay and water. The patrol's quarters were tidied up and the bedsheets were replaced with clean ones.

Haruka was in charge of helping sweep and tidy up the entryway that lead to the palace and the stables with Tomochika. Once she had swept the foliage that had fallen, she let out a sigh and wiped her forehead with her sleeve. She then looked over towards the palace. Was the meeting still going on? Was the prince still busy?

Haruka frowned and shook her head.

"Oh! Here they come now!" Tomochika said excitedly, pointing to the front gate.

Haruka turned to see a couple of the palace guards walk over and open up the gate, allowing several armored men on horses and a couple of cargo wagons through.

All the knights wore crimson uniforms over their armor with a wing-like pattern on the front. Some wore helmets while others did not which caused a couple of questions to pop up in Haruka's head. Wasn't it dangerous to not wear helmets?

"You did pretty good on your first patrol," One of the knights, seemingly the captain, commented to a younger knight beside him. "Keep it up and you might become an honorary knight someday soon."

"Really?!" the younger knight said, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "All right!"

"You may want to bring down that enthusiasm, Kurusu-san," another knight commented with a disinterested expression. "Or else you’ll just end up dragging down the entire squad because you were too reckless.”

The younger knight shot the other a heated glare. "Shut up! Who asked you?!"

"Both of you cut it out," The captain ordered. "That is not how proper knights should behave."

"Sorry, Captain Hyuuga…" The young knight replied sullenly as the other gave a quiet apology.

The captain let out a sigh before one of the guards came over to his side and gave him a firm salute.

"Sir, his Highness is currently holding an important meeting so your report will be delayed until it is done. You may wait inside if you wish."

Hyuuga nodded before he turned back to his squad. "Those who have something to report will wait inside with me. The rest of you may return to the shared quarters until further notice!"

Haruka had to admit that the patrol did seem impressive. They all had to be very capable if they were dispatched to combat Guardians. The thought made her frown.

"Hey you!"

Haruka snapped out of her thoughts and glanced over to see the young, blonde knight jog over to her.

Before she could respond, he dumped his heavy equipment into her arms, nearly causing Haruka to fall over from the weight.

"Hey!" Tomochika cried.

"Make sure those get cleaned and polished for tomorrow," The boy said with a grin.

"Who do you think you are?!" Tomochika seethed as the knight gave her a confused look.

Hyuuya then promptly came over and smacked him over the head.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?!" The young knight cried.

"The maids are not responsible for the knights' equipment," The captain replied gruffly.

"Huh? They aren't?"

Hyuuga let out an exasperated sigh before he turned to Haruka and quickly took the heavy load from her before dumping it into the young knight's arms.

"What are you-?!"

"Knights do not dump their burdens on others. I expect the entire patrol's equipment to be spotless before tomorrow," Hyuuga said before he walked towards the palace's doors.

Several other knights chuckled and patted the boy on the back, wishing him luck before handing him their equipment.

The boy cursed under his breath as parts of the armor slipped out of his arms.

“Better get started,” the knight from before said with smug look as he dropped his equipment in front of him. “Or else you won’t be done by sun down.”

"Shut up! You’re really annoying, you know that!"

Tomochika let out an exasperated sigh before taking Haruka by the shoulders and leading her away.

Haruka couldn't help but giggle sheepishly.

* * *

 

Not too long after Haruka and Tomochika returned from outside, one of the other maids came to inform Tomochika that they had to prepare the meal. Tomochika bid Haruka an apology but considering it was her job, Haruka couldn't complain.

Now alone once more, Haruka decided to head back to Masato's office and see if she could tidy up a bit before he got back.

She twitched.

That's right. In all of the excitement, she had forgotten she still needed to talk to the prince about the incident.

Haruka let out a deep sigh before she brushed several strands of hair behind her ear.

"What's with the long face, little lamb?"

Haruka flinched and whirled around to see a tall, young man with long, golden-orange hair leaning against the wall. He wore a yellow uniform over knight's armor with a beak-like symbol on the front. A playful smirk settled comfortably on his face as he rested a long, iron spear on his shoulder.

She's certainly been meeting a lot of interesting people today.

"U-Um…" Haruka stammered, slightly bewildered from the man's sudden appearance.

The man chuckled as he walked over to her. "I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you new?"

Haruka nodded, still wondering who this person was. From the looks of it, he seemed to be part of the knights. Though his uniform was different from the Guardian Patrol and the other knight she had bumped into earlier.

"My name is Haruka Nanami," Haruka introduced herself as the man rested his spear against the wall.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, little lamb."

Before Haruka could respond, the young man took her hand and lifted it up to his lips. "Ren Jinguji."

Haruka's face went completely red as she felt as if steam was erupting from the top of her head.

"Since you're new, why don't I show you around?" Ren said with a flirtatious smile, as he drew closer to her.

Haruka sucks in her lips and balls her hand up into a fist at her side, her nails digging into her palm.

"Cut it out, Jinguji,"

Both Haruka and Ren looked over to see Masato walking over to them. His eyes were narrowed dangerously, glaring cold daggers at the other man.

"Don't you have your duties to attend to?" Masato asked coldly.

Ren immediately backed off of Haruka and faced the blue-haired prince with a smirk.

"No need to be so stiff. I was only offering to show this lovely young lady around since she's new."

"There's no need for that," Masato stated firmly, putting himself between Haruka and Ren. "I already took the liberty of doing that myself the other day."

"Oh is that so? And what may I ask, makes this young lady so special that the mighty prince would go out of his way to show her around, hm?"

"She's my attendant, end of discussion," Masato replied with a little edge to his voice.

Haruka glanced from one to the other nervously, worried that a fight might break out any moment.

However, Ren merely chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Sheesh, you're so serious."

His comment caused Masato to unconsciously tighten his jaw as Ren glanced over at Haruka.

"I'll see you later, little lamb," He added with a wink before he picked his spear off the wall and walked off down the hall.

Masato let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his temples, trying to regain his composure.

Haruka stared at him in surprise. She then quickly turned away and bit the inside of her cheek. She hadn't expected to see him, not in this situation at least. And now that he was here, she wasn't quite sure how to act.

She had rehearsed what she would say to him that morning. But all the words seemed to have disappeared in her flustered state.

_ Say something! _ Haruka chided herself but to no avail.

"Are you okay?"

Haruka's head shot up in surprise to see Masato looking at her with a serious expression.

"Um… what?"

Haruka mentally smacked herself.

"Jinguji is a notorious flirt. He didn't do anything to make you uncomfortable, did he?" Masato asked.

Haruka blinked. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn his gaze was… softer? Was he actually worried about her?

She shook her head.

"N-No, I'm fine. He was very nice."

Masato hummed pensively before the two fell into awkward silence.

"W-What are you doing here?" Haruka asked, desperate to try and ease the tense atmosphere. "Weren't you in a meeting?

"It ended not too long ago," Masato replied. "But it dragged on longer than I expected. I figured you'd be wandering around the palace so I came looking for you."

That caught Haruka's attention. He could have sent a servant to go fetch her but he came looking for her himself.

She thought back to what Otoya said the other day. Maybe he really was kind.

"Am… I that predictable?"

Masato looked at her in surprised before he let out an embarrassed cough. "I didn't mean it like that."

Haruka couldn't fight the smile spreading across her face. Yesterday's incident came back to mind and her smile quickly dropped.

"Oh…about yesterday…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Masato cut in.

"Shinomiya and Ittoki explained the situation to me earlier. Don't worry about it, accidents happen. After a night's rest, I was perfectly fine."

Maybe… maybe Otoya was right about him. A little bit of skepticism still hung in the back of her mind though. She still wasn't sure what to think of him. He dragged her off the street to come work for him, a bit too forcefully if she may add. However, he does seem to have an awkward caring side to him that he doesn't know how to express very well. But for all she knew, it could all be an act.

For the time being, she supposed all she could do was watch. It couldn't hurt to just observe for a while longer, could it?

"I'm glad you're doing alright. But I am sorry it happened in the first place," Haruka said.

The edges of Masato's mouth turned ever so slightly upward. "It should be noted that Shinomiya's cooking never turns out well."

"Right..." Haruka mentally noted never to trust Natsuki with preparing anything from now on.

Masato glanced out the window, taking note on how high the sun hung in the sky.

"It's about time for lunch. Care to join me?"

"Huh?" Haruka said, taken aback. Once she regains her focus, she quickly waves her hands in front of her. "Oh no, I couldn't! I don't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense," Masato replied. "Besides it would be nice to have real company during meals."

Haruka was hesitant at first but after some thought, figured that this could be a good opportunity to be able to get to know her employer better. See for herself what kind of person Masato Hijirikawa is or at least some sort of a better understanding.

With her mission set in her mind, Haruka smiled warmly and bowed. "Well, if you insist, I suppose it would be nice. Thank you so much!"

 


End file.
